témavezető: Pogány Ákos
helyszín (magyar oldal): Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology helyszín rövidítés: ELTE
A kutatási téma leírása:
In sexually reproducing species, parents and offspring have different optima for parental investment. For offspring, higher investment than the parental optimum generally increases fitness, however, such higher investment will likely result in net parental fitness loss because increased benefits from current offspring compensate only partially any potential decrease in survival or future reproduction. Whether and how parents respond to shortfall in resources, might therefore have important fitness consequences. The PhD candidate will manipulate nutritional condition of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) families to investigate how variation in environmental conditions influences resource allocation to self and young. Using the same research paradigm, the candidate will also test the terminal investment hypothesis that predicts old parents should allocate more of the limited resources to their offspring compared to young parents. During these experiments, we will also investigate the flexibility of resource allocation over a given breeding attempt. The candidate will join an international research group and will benefit from close collaboration with a German behavioural laboratory.
előírt nyelvtudás: English B2 további elvárások: MSc degree in biology or a related topic; motivation, experience in the study of behaviour is an advantage